India captain Rohit Sharma backed under-fire batter Suryakumar Yadav to get a longer run in the ODI team after his second consecutive golden duck in the ongoing three-match series against Australia.
India lost the second ODI by 10 wickets after they were bowled out for 117 with Virat Kohli making 31 and Akshar Patel making 29*. Suryakumar Yadav, who was out LBW for a golden duck to Mitchell Starc in the first game, was out in a similar manner in this match as well.
After Mitchell Marsh and Travis Head's unbeaten fifties helped Australia level the series by 10 wickets, Suryakumar Yadav came under heavy fire for not adapting well to ODIs, despite tons of success in the T20I format.
The contest on Sunday was Suryakumar’s 16th ODI without a fifty, with an unbeaten 34 against New Zealand his highest score. He has been playing at the no.4 spot usually belonging to Shreyas Iyer, who is out of action without a return date due to lower back pain.
“We don’t know about (Shreyas) Iyer’s return. At this time there is a spot available so we have to play him (Suryakumar). He has obviously shown a lot of potential with white ball and I have said it many times before (that) guys with potential will be given some run,” Rohit told the media after India’s 10-wicket defeat to Australia in the second ODI.
“Of course, he knows that he needs to do while in a slightly longer format of the game as well. I think things are there in his mind as well. Like I said, guys with potential will have enough run where you know they should not feel that ‘Okay, You know I wasn’t given enough chances in that particular slot’,” he added.
Rohit further added that Suryakumar would be given a “consistent run” so that he feels comfortable with the format.
“Yes he got out in the last two games and the series before that as well, but he needs that consistent run, like back-to-back games, 7-8 or 10 games like that so that, you know, he feels more comfortable.
Right now, he has got in the place when someone’s been injured or someone’s not available. As management, we can look into the performance when you give that consistent run and then you feel that okay, the runs are not coming and (he’s) not looking comfortable. Then, we will start thinking about it. Right now, we have not gone that route,” Rohit explained.
The Indian captain also spoke about the absence of Jasprit Bumrah and said that the team is used to it now.
“Bumrah has been absent for more than eight months now, the guys and the team are very much used to it. It is very hard to fill Bumrah’s shoes. We all know that, he is a quality bowler but now that is not been available for us. Let’s not just keep thinking about that.
We have to move ahead and guys have taken the responsibility pretty well (Mohammad ) Siraj, (Mohammed) Shami, Shardul (Thakur), we have got Umran and Jaydev (Unadkat) as well,” he said.
(PTI inputs)
